Spider lift rental – maximum stability on difficult ground

Spider lifts – also known as tracked aerial work platforms or crawler platforms – take you where wheels sink in, floors get damaged or access routes are too narrow. Luibl rents out eight spider lifts from CTE and Teupen with 13.00 to 39.50 m working height and up to 17.00 m outreach. All machines have a Bi-Energy drive and are delivered by low-loader to your site. How the spider lift differs from scissor lifts, articulating and telescopic boom lifts is shown in the overview Aerial work platform rental – designs compared; all aerial work platforms in the rental fleet can be found under Aerial work platform rental.

Choosing the right machine comes down to three questions: how narrow is the access, how much load can the floor take, and how far is the work point from the set-up area laterally? The following sections answer them one by one.

The crawler chassis distributes the machine's weight over a large contact area. This significantly reduces ground pressure compared with a wheeled chassis – on lawns, paving and indoor floors, the surface remains intact. The rubber tracks generally leave no marks on parquet, natural stone or tiles. On rough terrain, spider lifts drive over mud, sand and gravel where wheels would spin.

To reach working height, the machine stands on four fold-out outriggers. These can be adjusted individually so that the platform stands level even on slopes, stair landings or next to bed edging.

Key data of our spider lifts:

• Working height: 13.00 to 39.50 m
• Basket load capacity: 200 to 400 kg
• Outreach: 6.50 to 17.00 m
• Travel width retracted: from 0.78 m (CTE TRACCESS 135, 200 and 270)
• Dead weight: 1,600 to 11,900 kg
• Drive: Bi-Energy – combustion engine for outdoor use, electric operation for indoor spaces

The crawler chassis protects the floor while travelling. During work, however, the load is concentrated on the four outrigger feet. What lies beneath the outriggers is therefore decisive for damage-free use. Before delivery, clarify which of the following surfaces is present at the work location:

• Lawns, parks, cemeteries: the tracks distribute the load well along the travel route. Load-spreading outrigger pads belong under the outriggers so that the feet do not sink into damp ground. After longer periods of rain, plan for more pad area.
• Paving, paving slabs, terraces: individual slabs can break or tilt under point loads if the bedding underneath gives way. Outrigger pads bridge several stones and distribute the outrigger load. Where there are voids – for example above cellars or service shafts – check the load-bearing capacity in advance with the owner.
• Indoor floors such as parquet, natural stone, tiles and screed: the rubber tracks leave no marks. Place the outrigger feet on protective boards or mats. For floors with underfloor heating, raised floors or old timber joist ceilings, the permitted area and point load must be known before the machine enters the room.
• Gravel, sand, crushed stone, construction areas: this is where the tracks show their off-road capability. Place the outriggers on compacted ground or on sufficiently large outrigger pads.
• Slopes and steps: the individually adjustable outriggers compensate for inclines. The permitted set-up inclination is stated in the operating manual of the respective machine – we will advise you on this before you rent.

Dead weight is the most important value for planning: a CTE TRACCESS 135 weighs 1,600 kg, a Teupen LEO40GTX 11,900 kg. Tell us the ground conditions when you enquire – we will then recommend the lightest machine that reaches your working height.

Our rental fleet consists of two series with clearly different strengths. The CTE TRACCESS models are narrow and light and fit through gates and doorways. The Teupen LEO models reach greater heights and outreach, but are 1.58 m wide.

How to read the table:

• Access narrower than 1 m: Only the CTE TRACCESS series is an option. With the TRACCESS 270 you still reach 27 m working height and 14 m outreach, even through narrow access points.
• Large outreach: From 15 m outreach, Teupen is the way to go. The LEO30Tplus reaches 17.00 m - the largest outreach in the rental fleet.
• Heavy material or two people with tools: The Plus models and the LEO40GTX carry 400 kg in the basket.
• Maximum height: The Teupen LEO40GTX reaches 39.50 m but weighs 11,900 kg. On sensitive ground, first check whether the LEO35Tplus with 35 m and 5,400 kg is sufficient.

A spider lift pays off whenever a wheeled aerial work platform cannot reach the workplace or would damage the ground. In practice, there are four situations:

• Green spaces and tree care: Narrow models from 0.78 m fit through garden gates into courtyards and parks. The tracks protect lawns and root zones, and the outreach brings the basket into the crown.
• Interiors and listed buildings: In churches, museums, halls and shopping centres, the machines run electrically without exhaust fumes at the workplace. The rubber tracks protect parquet, natural stone and tiles.
• Facades, glass and building services: Glass cleaning, skylights, signage and maintenance on hard-to-reach exteriors, even when unpaved ground surrounds the building. The slewing upper structure saves repositioning.
• Rough terrain and events: Sites with mud, sand or gravel, slopes, and stage and rigging work at events - without anchoring in the ground and without damage to hall floors or lawns.

Listed interiors combine every requirement at once: narrow portals, sensitive floors, no exhaust fumes and working points high above pews or fixtures. The following example shows how to plan such a job step by step - for instance, the inspection of a vaulted ceiling at a height of 16 m.

1. Measure the access: The clear width of the portal or side entrance determines the series. With less than 1 m clear width, only a CTE TRACCESS is an option - for 16 m working height the TRACCESS 170 with a width of 0.80 m or, with additional clearance above the pews, the TRACCESS 200 with 20 m working height and 8.50 m outreach.
2. Clarify ground and loads: Agree with the heritage authority and the owner on the surface load the floor can bear and whether there are crypts or cavities beneath it. Plan protective boards for the route and base plates for the outriggers.
3. Set the position: If pews are in the way, the machine works from the centre aisle. The outreach must then bridge the distance to the working point.
4. Plan for electric operation: Indoors, the machine drives and works electrically. Clarify where the machine can be charged during longer jobs.
5. Coordinate time windows: Services, tours and concerts determine the working hours. Allow for set-up and repositioning times and enquire early.

The same approach applies to museums, castles, theatres and historic halls.

Aerial work platforms may only be operated by persons with the required operator competence in line with applicable Dutch health and safety rules. Risk assessment and the instruction of employees fall under the Working Conditions Decree, Chapter 7 (work equipment). On handover, we brief your operators on the operation of the specific spider lift.

For basic training, we recommend an aerial work platform course to the IPAF standard. Luibl does not provide training itself.

Spider lifts are not approved for use on public roads. Luibl therefore delivers them by low-loader to your site - throughout the Netherlands. The transport weight ranges from 1,600 kg for the CTE TRACCESS 135 to 11,900 kg for the Teupen LEO40GTX and helps determine the vehicle and the cost. Please let us know what the access road is like and where the low-loader can unload.

If the ground is paved and the working point is freely accessible, wheeled machines are often the more economical choice: articulating boom lifts for work over obstacles and telescopic boom lifts for great heights.

Spider lifts cost more to rent than comparable wheeled machines - the tracked undercarriage, the variable outriggers and the rubber tracks are more complex. The machine becomes economical where no alternative could be used at all or where ground protection would otherwise be expensive.

These factors determine the rental price:

• Working height and outreach: There are several classes between a 13-metre machine for indoor use and a 39.5-metre spider lift. With up to 17 m outreach, reach often matters more than height.
• Series: The narrow CTE TRACCESS models for tight access, the Teupen LEO models for large outreach and 400 kg basket load.
• Rental period: Daily, weekly and monthly rates are tiered; for longer projects, long-term terms apply, including maintenance and periodic inspection during the rental period.
• Transport: Delivery and collection by our own low-loader are shown separately, depending on transport weight and access.

If the ground is load-bearing and the working point is freely accessible, also consider the more economical alternatives: a scissor lift for purely vertical work or a wheeled articulating boom lift. All types at a glance: Aerial work platform rental.

Send us the working height, the horizontal distance to the working point, the access width, the ground conditions, the location and the rental period via our contact form - you will receive a binding quote at short notice.